Cindy Williams - who rose to fame in the beloved 1970s sitcom Laverne and Shirley - has died at the age of 75, her family has confirmed. Via a statement released by the family's spokeswoman Liza Cranis, it was revealed that she died peacefully last week after a short illness. "The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," the statement read, per <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/30/entertainment/cindy-williams-dead/index.html">CNN</a>. "Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous, and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved." Her two children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said their late mother was passionate about rescuing animals, her religion, and bringing joy to the world. <img class="size-full wp-image-1263192151" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/01/HDKPFP-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2241" height="2560" />[[imagecaption|| Cindy Williams reacts to seeing her star on the Walk of Fame during a ceremony in Los Angeles on August 12, 2004. Credit: Francis Specker / Alamy]] Williams had a long, accomplished career in show business, with Laverne and Shirley being one of her most popular projects. The ABC sitcom, which was a spinoff of Happy Days, ran from 1976 to 1983. She starred alongside Penny Marshall - who portrayed Laverne DeFazio - as one of two single working women in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the 1950s. Williams even bagged herself a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a TV series for her portrayal of Shirley Feeney. In total the show earned six Golden Globe nominations including the prize for best comedy series. <img class="size-full wp-image-1263192153" src="https://img.vt.co/2023/01/KGHX3M-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1737" />[[imagecaption|| Laverne and Shirley. Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy]] Marshall, whose brother Garry Marshall, co-created the series, passed away in 2018. Laverne and Shirley was adored for its opening theme, which saw Williams and Marshall chant "schlemiel, schlimazel" while skipping together. Williams also starred in George Lucas's 1973 movie American Graffiti - for which she received a British Academy Film Awards nomination for best supporting actress - and Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 film The Conversation. American Graffiti centers around some friends who spend one wild night together before they leave for college. It was ultimately nominated for five Oscars, including best picture, at the 1974 Academy Awards. Williams also made appearances on the stage. Last year in fact, she went on a national tour with her one-woman show, Me, Myself and Shirley. Born in Van Nuys, California, Williams' passion for performing in high school drove her to study theater at Los Angeles City College, according to a biography provided by her family. Among the actress' first acting credits were a three-episode arc on the 1969 series Room 222 and appearances on other series such as Nanny and the Professor and Love, American Style, in the early 1970s. <h6>Featured image credit: WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy</h6>

'Laverne & Shirley' star Cindy Williams dies aged 75

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